Today we are going to take staghorn sumac and make a refreshing drink often called “sumac-aide”. Sumacs grow throughout the world with Staghorn Sumac (Rhus Hirta- Rhus Glabra) is the most common.

While we don’t use it as a spice here in North America, sumac “stags” are used as a traditional spice in many cultures in the middle east. If you dry and grind staghorn sumac you will find it has a tangy flavor that is often used with grilled meats and fish.

While one should eat wild food without first consulting a pictorial guide and/or an expert, it is very easy to distinguish staghorn sumac from poison sumac. The color of the leaves is the biggest distinguisher.

I dunno. This worries me a bit. I'm not sure I'd be in any hurry to rush out and dig up a bunch of sumac, give that getting it wrong might expose me to a horrific experience. (I nearly died as a kid from a massive poison ivy infection that got way out of control....)

While one should eat wild food without first consulting a pictorial guide and/or an expert, it is very easy to distinguish staghorn sumac from poison sumac. The color of the leaves is the biggest distinguisher.

Overall, taking chances with this may, for most people, be slightly safer than eating wild mushrooms without thorough training first, I tend to agree with you, Bill.

I'm not sure that the writer of that article really has ever made lemonaide out of staghorn sumac...because there is a very distinguishable part between the two...the berries....staghorn's berries are on red furry like and cone shaped. (thus the name "staghorn") These grow like crazy here in my area of PA...I have them in my yard.

Poison sumac, has different shaped leaves and its berries start out green then turn to white. They do not have the furry cone shaped "horns" that the staghorn does.... They just have berries....

Of all the types of "wildcrafted" foods there are.. These are the easiest to distinuish...I think its the name "sumac" that strikes the fear of God into people.

you know what Dale00, you are spot on .....a Body should AWAYS check and cross reference what they see on here and other places....and use different resourses too.....

that's why I like this site, you are going to get various sides to things.......I have found that way to many folks on the net are talkers and not walkers....and you have to sort through all the fluff...I do like the net for pics and I did post pics of the difference between the two....and there is good info out there....

I'm not saying that the article wasn't accurate....my skepticism was whether or not the author ACTUALLY ever made it or drank it....because they would KNOW the difference between the berries....personally, if I were writing the article, I would have made that part CLEAR....because distinguishing between the leaves of the two could get confusing and hard to remember...

And I have drank sumac lemonaide...not sure of the nutritional value...its plenty sour...so you need sweetner...I'm not sure I would call it a survival food...I would call it more of a pleasure food, because it enhances the drink....

One interesting thing though is I saw the article states that it is used as a spice....I'll have to look more into that..